Ultimate Survival Technologies Allows You to Start a Fire Under Any Conditions

Whether you're stranded out in the woods in a survival crisis, or simply kicking back Heinekens with your buddies at a local campsite, one of the first things that you'll want to do is start a fire. Otherwise you're not keeping warm, not cooking any food and possibly being eaten by mountain lions. In and of itself, building a fire isn't difficult, but if your matches, tinder or kindling are wet it can be a hell of a time.

To prevent any possible problems igniting a roaring campfire, Ultimate Survival Technologies has developed a couple of surefire ways get started. Even the pasty nerd who rarely leaves his house, let alone enters a wilderness area, will start a fire in minutes with these innovative solutions:

Sparkie and WetFire

BlastMatch--Designed for use in any conditions in the jungle, woods, desert, marine or tundra, the BlastMatch is an efficient firestarter that requires a simple, decisive push downward to produce a massive spark shower three times more intense than a match. I nearly lit the door on fire when I attempted to show off the handy new tool to my wife inside the house--don't try it at home. Ever. The BlastMatch can easily be operated with one hand. Inside the apparatus is flint and a carbide striker that rub together when you push down.

WetFire Tinder--An ignition device is only half the battle. The other half is having a dry tinder that will light easily. This can be difficult if you're lighting a fire in a rainforest downpour. WetFire tinder is designed to be lit under any conditions, wet or dry. The tinder will even stay lit if it's floating in a bucket of water and will actually burn longer when wet, so you will have no problems getting an effective flame to start your campfire. WetFire burns at over 1300 degrees and cools almost immediately when the flame is put out. Originally designed for the military, this incredibly versatile tinder could be a lifesaver.

These tools are available separately or in several survival kits. Sparkie is a smaller, lighter version of the BlastMatch that is a great option for weight-concious hikers and backpackers. Check out this demonstration to see them in action: